Microsoft launches the Zune! — As expected, Microsoft is busting out the Zune today, and we've got the rundown. Not a lot of surprises in the specs department, but they've confirmed the basics we've known for a while, like WiFi, 30GB of HDD, built-in FM, a 3-inch screen and the basic music, pictures and video playback.

Zune Marketplace to keep your Zune player stocked — The iPod had to move over (even if only a little today), and now it's turn for iTunes to move as well. Zune's software is, of course, called Zune, and it encompasses everything you'd expect from your standard single-shot media player, download, and management console.

Microsoft Zune Gets Officially Announced — The official details for the Microsoft Zune player are here, and we've got the specs for you—most of which we've already known for a while now. The player will have a 30GB hard drive, built-in FM tuner, 3.0-inch screen, and 802.11 wireless.

Wii game system rolls out on Nov. 19 — The final pieces of this fall's video game battle fall into position today as Nintendo announces that its new Wii home system will sell for $250 — half the price of Sony's cheapest PlayStation 3 — and launch Nov. 19, two days after the PS3.

Live at Nintendo's NYC Wii press conference — Yeah, so we already know most, if not all, of the gory details, but we're here live in New York for Nintendo's US press conference for the Wii anyway. We'll have updates on the regular, stay tuned! — 9:20AM EST - Perrin Kaplan is on stage doing an introduction.

Nintendo gets Wii ready for holidays — Company plans to put console on market Nov. 19 — In a move that may allow Nintendo of Japan to take advantage of stumbles by its main rival, the company plans to announce today that it will release its new Wii video-game console in North and South America …

Well here we are, in Studio C of Pier 59. I'd be excited about the news, but since we already know most of what they are going to say, not so much. I do suspect that there will still be something new. So stay tuned to the site for the blow-by-blow. — Ooh, they're throwing around a Mario ball.

Diebold Brushes Off Yet Another Damning Security Report — Just a day after Avi Rubin discussed many of the real world problems of some Diebold e-voting machines in action, Ed Felten has come out with his quite damning independent review of the machines — noting just how problematic …

High-quality photos of Apple's second-gen iPod nano — While Apple's updated fifth-gen video iPods are not as widely available as expected, the new second-gen iPod nanos began arriving in the United States in somewhat limited quantities on Wednesday. — Each new nano ships in a completely translucent …

Philanthropy Google's Way: Not the Usual — The ambitious founders of Google, the popular search engine company, have set up a philanthropy, giving it seed money of about $1 billion and a mandate to tackle poverty, disease and global warming. — But unlike most charities …

News Corp.: Entertainment going mobile — LOS ANGELES—A day after his company bought a controlling stake in ring tone giant Jamba, News Corp.'s president and chief operating officer said the time for partnering with the mobile industry to distribute entertainment content is now.

The Missing Sony Exhibit — The Canadian Sony rootkit class action settlement heads to court next week amid mounting questions about the deal. The EFF calls attention to a number of missing provisions, including no security reviews and no ongoing obligations to provide uninstallers for the rootkit.

Mattcuttsarama: 21 Great SEO Tips From Google's Matt Cutts — Part of Jaimie Sirovich's adventure in SEO — This is a compilation of stuff Matt Cutts has said historically, minus some of the more recent stuff here, here, and here. I decided I'd dig backwards and document some of the older stuff.